Professor Roger K.W. Smith
Roger Smith is Professor of Equine Orthopaedics at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), focusing on orthopaedic surgery, imaging, lameness, and tendon research. He graduated from Cambridge in 1987, completed a residency and PhD at the RVC, and became Professor in 2003. He holds the RCVS Diploma in Equine Orthopaedics and is a Diplomate of the European Colleges of Veterinary Surgery (ECVS) and Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation (ECVSMR). Roger is a European and RCVS Specialist in Equine Surgery, was awarded an RCVS Fellowship in 2016, and served as President of ECVS (2017-2018) and BEVA (2023-2024).
Dr. Janny de Grauw
Janny graduated cum laude from Utrecht University in 2007 and completed a cum laude PhD on equine joint inflammation and pain. She finished an equine anaesthesia internship and residency, becoming a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia in 2016. After roles at Utrecht University and the Royal Veterinary College, she now works as an anaesthesia specialist and Head of Discipline at IVC Evidensia in the Netherlands. Janny’s research focuses on equine pain management and perioperative morbidity. She has authored over 50 publications and enjoys teaching and clinical research. She lives in Utrecht with her family.
Jonathan Nunn
Jonathan Nunn FWCF, based in Staffordshire, England, runs a farrier practice specializing in trimming and shoeing for soundness and hoof health. He earned his Fellowship of the Worshipful Company of Farriers in 2017 and serves as an examiner and tutor for farriery exams worldwide. Jon collaborates closely with veterinarians across the Midlands and internationally. Alongside his farriery work, he travels as an international clinician and co-designs and produces handmade farrier tools with his son Josh. His practical, educational approach aims to advance farriery skills globally.
Dr. Celia Marr
Celia Marr graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1985 and has specialised in cardiovascular and internal medicine, intensive care, and medical imaging. She has held positions at the Universities of Pennsylvania, Cambridge, and the Royal Veterinary College, and now works at Rossdales in Newmarket. Celia chairs several equine infectious disease committees and serves on international advisory groups. Her research focuses on cardiac arrhythmias, and she has published widely on equine medical disorders. She is a Diplomate of the ECEIM, Fellow of the RCVS, Honorary Professor at Glasgow, and Editor-in-Chief of Equine Veterinary Journal.
Dr. Emma Adam
Emma Adam – BVetMed (DVM), PhD, MRCVS, DACVIM, DACVS grew up on a commercial TB breeding farm in Newmarket and worked for Sir Michael Stoute during and after vet school. She joined an ambulatory practice near Newmarket before gaining experience in Australia and the US. In the US, Emma completed an internship at Colorado State, an internal medicine residency at Texas A&M, and a surgery residency at the University of Pennsylvania. After clinical work in France, she earned a PhD in musculoskeletal science at the University of Kentucky, where she now combines research and outreach, collaborating with farms and veterinarians to tackle industry challenges.
Dr. Sean Finan
Dr. Sean Finan MVB DACT graduated from University College Dublin in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in veterinary medicine. He undertook an internship at Fethard Equine Hospital. In 2011 he moved to Australia and completed a residency in Theriogenology at Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital under the mentorship of Dr Angus McKinnon, passing the board certifying exam of the American College of Theriogenologists in 2014. After this he worked as a resident vet for Arrowfield Stud, a large thoroughbred stud in Australia’s Hunter Valley, with the occasional northern hemisphere season in Newmarket, UK and Ireland. In 2023 he moved to Ireland permanently where he works for an equine hospital on the Curragh, Co. Kildare, where the mare population is predominantly Thoroughbred.
Dr Orla Doherty Diploma Equitation Science MVB MSc PhD MRCVS
Orla Doherty qualified as a veterinarian from University College Dublin in 1992 before completing a Master’s Degree in Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare at Edinburgh University Scotland. Between 1994 and 2023, Orla ran the Animal Behaviour Clinic, a veterinary referral behaviour clinic treating problem behaviours in horses, dogs and cats. Orla lectures and gives workshops and clinics to veterinary surgeons, horse owners, riders and trainers in Ireland and abroad. Orla completed a PhD at the University of Limerick in 2016 on tack usage in horses, and an Australian Diploma in Equitation Science (completed in 2017). Orla is an Associate Lecturer at University College Dublin, and was Hon President of the International Society for Equitation Science from 2019-2021.
Dr. Jeremiah O’ Sullivan
Jerry graduated from ucd in 1984. He first worked as house surgeon in the royal vet school in Edinburgh before lecturing in large animal surgery at UCD. After gaining post-graduate certification in veterinary radiology, he worked in equine practice on the curragh, Co. Kildare for over a decade. During this time he was a two time winner of the BEVA annual congress imaging competition, winning a BEVA travel trust scholarship to the university of Florida. He founded Clinic na gCapall in Co. Carlow. In 1997. Jerry has delivered lectures nationally and internationally, principally on orthopaedics, diagnostic imaging and reproduction. He is a panel member vet for Goffs, Tattersalls, the RDS, Cavan and Goresbridge horse sales. In 2019, he was certified in equine locomotor pathology by ISELP, the only practitioner in Ireland to date to achieve this qualification.
Alan Creighton
Alan Creighton, Head of Environment & Nutrition, Irish Equine Centre, holds an Honours Degree in Food Science and Nutrition from the Dublin Institute of Technology and joined the Irish Equine Centre (IEC) in 1995. Initially working in the Microbiology Unit, he was appointed Environmental Scientist in 1999 and later became Head of Environment and Nutrition in 2017. Alan works closely with trainers, stud owners and governing bodies, both in Ireland and internationally, advising on equine biosecurity, nutrition, performance, and grassland management. Alan lectures on the same subjects in various educational institutions and universities. A former showjumper, he remains actively involved in the thoroughbred industry as a breeder and pinhooker.
Professor Ann Cullinane
Ann Cullinane, Head of Virology, Irish Equine Centre, MVB, PhD, MRCVS is a veterinary graduate of University College Dublin with a PhD in equine virology from the University of Glasgow. She has led the Virology Unit at the Irish Equine Centre since 1987 and is the designated World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) expert for equine influenza and equine herpesvirus. Ann oversees the WOAH reference laboratories at the IEC and serves as Vice President of the WOAH Biological Standards Commission. An Adjunct Professor at UCD, she has published over 90 peer-reviewed papers and chairs the WOAH Expert Surveillance Panel on equine influenza.
Dr. Desmond P. Leadon
Des Leadon, Clinical Consultant, Irish Equine Centre, MA, MVB, MSc, FRCVS, DipECEIM. Des is a renowned equine internal medicine specialist with a distinguished veterinary career spanning decades. A Trinity College Dublin graduate, he earned his MSc and Fellowship of the RCVS through pioneering work on equine prematurity. He joined the IEC in 1984 after working at Rossdales in Newmarket. Des is a founding Vice-President of the European College of Equine Internal Medicine, a Past President of both BEVA and WEVA, and currently serves as Veterinary Advisor to the ITBA.
Kerrie Kavanagh
Head of Microbiology, Irish Equine Centre and with over two decades of experience, Kerrie Kavanagh leads the IEC’s INAB-accredited Microbiology Laboratory. She holds a European Master’s in Food Science and is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Limerick. Kerrie specialises in outbreak investigation (e.g., Strangles, Salmonella), reproductive and enteric pathogens, parasitology, and microbiome research. She works extensively on gut profiling in horses and dogs and advises on the development of autogenous probiotics. Her wide-ranging expertise also includes environmental monitoring and disinfectant efficacy studies.
Mairéad Keegan
Mairéad Keegan – Laboratory Head, Mass Spectrometry, MPhil – leads the Irish Equine Centre’s Mass Spectrometry Laboratory. She holds degrees from University College Dublin and TU Dublin, and completed her master’s degree at the Marine Institute in partnership with TU Dublin. Before joining the IEC, Mairéad spent over a decade at Racing Analytical Services Ltd (RASL) in Australia — a leading International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) Reference Laboratory — where she gained extensive experience in analytical testing and quality systems. Her expertise lies in method development using Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LCMS), and she is driving the expansion and refinement of LCMS testing capabilities at the IEC.
Dr. Jill Bryan
Jill Bryan, Head of Pathology, Irish Equine Centre, BSc (Vet Path), MVB, DipECEIM, FRCPath, MRCVS RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Pathology (Equine) is a specialist in equine veterinary pathology and internal medicine. She holds degrees from University College Dublin and the Royal Veterinary College and is a Diplomate of the European College of Equine Internal Medicine. After completing dual residencies in Internal Medicine and Veterinary Pathology, she earned Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists. Jill has worked as a lecturer and as a diagnostic pathologist in Newmarket, UK. Her key interests include equine abortion, infectious diseases, and collaborative research. She joined the IEC with over seven years of specialist laboratory experience
Dr. Carmel Welsh BSc BVM&S CertAVP(StudMed)MVB
Carmel completed an honours degree in Equine Science before reading Veterinary Medicine and Surgery at The Royal School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh graduating in 2009. Carmel gained valuable experience as a stud vet in Australia before returning to head up the stud side of a busy practice in the UK for 5 years. Carmel gained an RCVS certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice in Equine Stud Medicine from the University of Liverpool in 2015. Carmel returned to Ireland to work at Kilcash Equine Clinic in 2016 and became a director in 2019. She enjoys all aspects of equine reproduction including mare and stallion management, neonatal care, AI and ET. She works on the veterinary panel at Goffs, racecourse duty at Tramore and is an active member of IEVA.
Dr. Simon Hennessy
Simon graduated from UCD in 2007 and began his career in mixed practice before specialising in equine stud medicine. He worked across both hemispheres, including roles at Eliza Park and several equine hospitals such as Goulburn, Lisadell, and Hamilton. He later pursued surgery, joining the University of Melbourne as a surgical tutor, then training as a resident at the Universities of Glasgow and Liverpool, completing his residency in 2015. Simon worked as a surgeon in Sweden before returning to Lisadell, and is now based at Anglesey Lodge Equine Hospital. His surgical interests include orthopaedics, minimally invasive techniques, and equine reproduction.
Dr. Siobhan McAulliffe
Siobhan McAuliffe graduated from UCD in 1997 and worked in ambulatory equine practice until 2001, when she began a residency in Equine Internal Medicine at Hagyard, Lexington. After completing her residency, she worked at the Stables of King Abdullah in Saudi Arabia for 5 years, then ran her own practice in Lexington for 2 years. In 2010, she joined Kawell Equine Hospital in Buenos Aires until returning to Ireland in 2017 to work at Fethard Equine Hospital. She now works as an internal medicine consultant and technical services provider, with multiple publications in English and Spanish.
Dr. Eva Dieterman
Eva Dieterman graduated from Utrecht University in 2016. She gained early experience at a thoroughbred stud in Australia before working as a first-line equine practitioner in the Netherlands. She then completed an internship and residency in equine surgery and orthopedics at Utrecht but discovered a passion for infectious diseases. Since 2024, Eva has worked at Royal GD, focusing on monitoring and surveillance of equine infectious diseases in the Netherlands.
Dr. Eoin Ryan
Eoin Ryan qualified as a vet from UCD in 2002. Following a period in mixed practice, he did a PhD in foot and mouth disease at the Pirbright Institute, UK. He has worked at the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation in Rome on international disease control and in a number of roles in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, where he is now Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer.
Dr. Siobhan Mullan
Siobhan Mullan is Professor of Animal Welfare and Veterinary Ethics at UCD. Her research is focused on using welfare assessments to inform how we should treat animals, and drive large scale welfare improvements. She led a study developing a racehorse-specific welfare assessment and is currently working with jurisdictions to support implementation of welfare screening. She has a longstanding interest in Veterinary Ethics, instigated and wrote a monthly ‘Everyday Ethics’ column in the veterinary journal In Practice from 2006-2016 and is co-author of the book ‘Veterinary Ethics- Navigating Tough Cases’.
Dr. Jennifer Doyle
Dr. Jennifer Doyle is the Senior Equine Geneticist in Horse Sport Ireland. She holds a B.AgrSc in Animal Science – Equine and a PhD in Statistical Genomics. Jennifer has led the transition of parentage testing in horses from microsatellites to SNPs and has authored multiple scientific publications in cattle and equine genetics including as senior author on the innovative research paper that identified Trisomy 27 in the Irish Sport Horse Population.
Michelle Fogarty
Michelle Fogarty is a Bloodstock Operations Manager & Industry Relations Executive at Weatherbys with a background in Equine Science and Business Management from the University of Limerick. As a long-serving member of the Weatherbys team and active contributor to international industry committees, she blends hands on experience and industry insight in every aspect of her work.
Nia O Malley
Nia graduated from the University of Limerick in Equine Science, and since then, she has followed the path of equine nutrition and exercise physiology. Her interests include nutrition for the performance horse, the broodmare and growing youngstock, and digestive related issues. Nia is an essential member of the Connolly’s RED MILLS Technical Support Team, who’s work involves visiting farms and training centres throughout Europe and the US, assessing horses, preparing diet plans, offering nutritional advice. Nia also gives talks and presentations on equine exercise physiology and equine nutrition.
Nicole Groyer
Nicole, an Animal Science Equine graduate from University College Dublin, joined Connolly’s RED MILLS Nutrition team in 2018. She provides technical support across Ireland, Europe, and the Middle East, with expertise in performance horse nutrition. Having worked in all areas of the equine industry, Nicole supports owners, breeders, and trainers with nutrition advice, forage analysis, and diet planning. Passionate about building client relationships, she finds it rewarding to see the impact of their advice. Nicole currently specializes in stud and performance sport horse nutrition, focusing on technical support and sales in the Irish market.
Sorcha O’ Connor
Sorcha graduated with a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (MVB) from University College Dublin in 2017 and spent six years working in equine and small animal practice in Australia and Ireland. With a strong interest in nutrition and research, she completed an MSc in Regulatory Affairs in 2022, focusing on antimicrobial resistance in veterinary practice. Now part of the RED MILLS equine technical support team for Export markets, Sorcha promotes preventative medicine through nutrition. She enjoys adapting diets to horses’ varied environments, exploring new nutritional research, and supporting RED MILLS’ commitment to innovation and equine health worldwide.